To 2259: Eco
The unclued lights can be preceded by GREEN which had to be shaded in green, as indicated in the solution grid. First prize Vincent Clark, Frant, East Sussex Runners-up Michael Grosvenor Myer, Haddenham, Cambridge; Emma Staveley, Oxford
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Thursday
Thursday
2259: Eco
The unclued lights (one of two words) can be preceded by the same word which is hidden in the completed grid. Solvers must highlight this word appropriately. All resulting phrases are verifiable in Brewer. Elsewhere, ignore one accent. Across 1 Ought to be quiet when dreadfully loud (6) 7 Elysian areas of knowledge? (6)
To 2256: 11 x 11
The unclued lights reveal ELEVEN (five English and six Scottish) league football teams (3/38, 4/1D, 10, 14, 18, 18/28, 19, 26, 27/1D, 28, 36 {City}). 1 Down has to become ROVERS. First prize Margaret Shiels, Edinburgh Runners-up Sandra Speak, Dursley, Gloucestershire; Roderick Rhodes, Goldsborough, N. Yorkshire
Thursday
2256: 11 x 11
The unclued lights (three of two words), individually or paired, are of a kind, with 1 Down as a plural. Two of these unclued lights do double duty to reach the number indicated in the title. Ignore one apostrophe and, elsewhere, an acute accent. Chambers does not confirm 25A. Across 1 What a
To 2253: Your starter for ten
FIRST, the ‘starter’ solution at 10 Down, can be linked with the other unclued lights, with it also appearing twice in ‘First things first’. First prize P.E. Berridge, Gosberton, Lincolnshire Runners-up John C. Edwards, Ightham, Kent; Professor Colin Ratledge, Beverley, E. Yorkshire
Wednesday
2253: Your starter for ten
One ‘unclued’ light, as the title suggests, can be paired (on one occasion twice) with each of the other unclued lights, (one of two words), all verifiable in Brewer. Alphabetical order takes priority in the unclued solution at 36A. Across 1 Builders’ aid marketed outside greasy spoon in Gabon (11) 7 Chap who’s
To 2250: Knavish
The unclued lights can be preceded by JACK. First prize Margaret Lusk, Preston, Lancs Runners-up P.D.H. Riddell, London SE23; Derek Willan, Gosport, Hants
Thursday
2250: Knavish
The unclued lights (one of two words, and one of three) when preceded by the same word (which has to be discovered) reveal words (in one case, a non-word which is almost a foot) or phrases all of which are listed in Brewer, with some also listed in Chambers. Ignore all hyphens. Across 7
To 2247: Commoners II
The unclued lights are some of the Wombles of Wimbledon COMMON, paired at 25/21, 31/16 and 35/10. First prize Belinda Bridgen, London NW8 Runners-up Kenneth Robb, Linlithgow, West Lothian; C.H. Hanson, Castleford, Yorkshire
Thursday
2247: Commoners II
The unclued lights (one of two words), individually or as three pairs, are of a kind. Across 9 Aussie’s error with fine paintbrush. Correct! (10, hyphened) 11 Ten-nil reverse. That’s rare (5) 12 Publicly accuse having arrived in Georgia, drunk (7) 14 Zest for two-thirds of the month before October 1st (5) 15
To 2244: Faithful
The unclued lights are DOGS from the classics, legend or of noted people. First prize David Maddison, London E1 Runners-up Richard Gray, Epping, Essex; Alice Woods, Whitchurch, Hants
Thursday
2244: Faithful
The unclued lights, one of two words, are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer. Across 1 After the outskirts of Barnsley, overtake on road round town (6) 7 Series for bikers? (6) 13 Regularly burn options and release (5) 14 Like a Peruvian, having completed filming? (5) 15
To 2241: Customary
The unclued lights (1A, 1D, 6A/33, 13, 18, 32 and 38/24) are seven of the ‘Twelve Curious CUSTOMS Worth Reviving’, as listed in Brewer 19th edition. First prize J. Bielawski, Liverpool Runners-up Neil Mendoza, London W11; K.J. Williams, Kings Worthy, Winchester
Thursday
2241: Customary
The unclued lights, (two of two words), individually or as two pairs, are of a kind, verifiable in Brewer 19th edition. Elsewhere, ignore one accent. Across 11 Jersey, perhaps, one’s left with (6) 12 Bangers for men like Ben Gunn (7) 14 Poor Ben repressing shout of joy for girl shedding tears (5)
To 2239: ITOIX
The unclued lights include the words ONE to NINE which had to be entered as figures 1 to 9 in unchecked squares. First prize C.W. Hastings, Upper Woolhampton, Berks Runners-up Brenda Widger, Bowdon, Altrincham, Cheshire; Paul Jenkinson, Zollikon, Switzerland
Thursday
2239: ITOIX
The unclued lights (all of two or three words, some hyphened and all confirmed in Chambers) can be arranged into a consecutive sequence. Each light includes a different word which has to be represented in just one unchecked square. Across 4 General beginning to network as a gamble whenever in charge (11, hyphened) 11 Very
To 2236: Alphabetical jigsaw
First prize Mrs M. Purdie, Ceres, Cupar, Fife Runners-up Nick Hussey, Overton, Hampshire; K. Parekh, Wayne, Illinois
Thursday
2236: Alphabetical jigsaw
This week’s puzzle breaks away from the traditional thematic puzzle. Instead, here is an alphabetical jigsaw for solvers to tackle. Clues are presented in strict alphabetical order of their solutions which begin with the letters indicated from A through to Z. Solvers have to assign each solution to its correct place in the grid.
To 2233: Clutching at straws!
The unclued lights are CHEESES. First prize M. Taylor, Eskbank, Midlothian Runners-up D.G. Page, Orpington, Kent; Katherine Griffin, Winchester, Hants
Thursday
2233: Clutching at straws!
The unclued lights, either individually or as a pair, are of a kind. Ignore one accent. Across 4 Read tea-leaves with nettle and flour ingredients (11, two words) 12 Rejected English found in pithy sayings (6) 14 Silent block (5) 19 Spare book (7) 21 Pay some Brazilian temp (4) 24 Ex-giant, literally (4)
